Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
There is considerable interest in generating electrical power from renewable energy sources such as, for example, wind. Conventional wind power generation systems are typically provided in the form of propeller-type turbines, commonly referred to as windmills. In general, such systems include a plurality of long propeller blades mounted atop a tall tower. When located in areas having sufficient wind velocity, the kinetic energy of the wind turns the propeller blades around a rotor. The rotor is coupled to a main shaft, which spins a generator to create electrical energy.
Conventional wind power generation systems have a number of limitations. For example, conventional wind power generation systems generally require large open spaces with relatively large wind velocities. Additionally, for example, conventional wind power generation systems can be noisy, impact environmental aesthetics, and impact wildlife.